Mental Health Project Sessions

Share your experience, help work towards acceptance of mental illness and learn about theatre!

We are excited to be working in collaboration with the Red Threads Playback Theatre and Artists in Healthcare Manitoba on a community based project to gather stories about mental health issues. The goal is to educate the public and reduce the shame for anyone experiencing mental illness. We have been working with various community groups and organizations to date and are now welcoming interested individuals to two open sessions.

Saturday, November 21 from 1pm-4pm – Session for Caregivers

This will be focused on the stories of those who have a family member or close friend with a mental illness; as well as those working as organizations who support individuals with mental health issues.

Saturday, November 28 from 1pm-4pm – Open Session

This session is open to anyone and everyone interested. Participants from previous sessions are welcome to join us again. Anyone with a story to tell or anyone with an interest in participating in the project can attend.

In each session professional theatre artists use a variety of activities, exercises and theatre games in order to have some fun and tell stories. The sessions have three purposes: to encourage recovery through storytelling and the process of sharing; to pass on theatre skills; and to gather material to create a play for the general public.

All of the stories and information gathered in these sessions, as well as in sessions to be held with other groups, will be used in complete confidence. All names will be removed, identifying details changed and stories compiled in order to explore the larger issue of mental health while keeping all participants completely anonymous. The completed script will be brought back to the community for readings and workshopping to make sure it truly captures the reality people have experienced. It would then be prepared for a public presentation in May 2016.

Participants can choose to sit in and participate at whatever level they are comfortable with. The goal is to include a wide range of youth to get their perspective on mental health. Anyone who is open to having some fun, willing to share their ideas, interested in helping to reduce the shame of mental illness is welcome.

Both sessions will be held at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (at the University of Winnipeg, 400 Colony Street entrance off Balmoral). Contact Angie at 204-586-2236 or associate@sarasvati.ca for more information or to register (people are also welcome to just come for the session).

This project is generously supported by the Winnipeg Foundation.

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